Large capacity fuselage and corresponding aerodyne



Oct. 15, 1968 c. FLAMAND ETAL 3,405,893

LARGE CAPACITY FUSELAGE AND CORRESPONDING AERODYNE Filed Oct. 13, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet l V w SEES Oct. 15,1968 A A D ETAL 3,405,893

LARGE CAPACITY FUSELAGE AND CORRESPONDING AERODYNE Filed Oct. 13, 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 3

0d. 15, 1968 c, FLAMAND ETAL 3,405,893

LARGE CAPACITY FUSELAGE AND CORRESPONDING AERODYNE Filed 001;. 13, 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Section] Sec rion.5

United States Patent 3,405,893 LARGE CAPACITY FUSELAGE AND CORRESPONDING AERODYNE Claude Flamand, Chatenay, Michel Lazaretf, Paris, and

Fernand Rajau, Sevres, France, assignors to Nord- Aviation Societe Nationale de Constructions Aeronautiques, Paris, France, a joint-stock company of France Filed Oct. 13, 1966, Ser. No. 586,553 Claims priority, applicatignzFrance, Oct. 15, 1965,

35, 3 6 Claims. (Cl. 244-119) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A large capacity fuselage for an aerodyne comprising hollow longitudinal lobes forming side by side compartments having fiat faces adjacent each other forming a common connecting wall in a vertical plane, with an outer envelope surrounding the lobes to form the outer surface of the fuselage.

The present invention relates to a large capacity fuselage, adapted to any form of aerodyne, passenger, freight or mixed.

It also relates to all aerodynes provided with a fuselage such as defined hereinbelow.

The problems arising from the increase in air traffic and the need to increase the useful transportable volume, whether it be the number of passengers or space for freight, are well known.

The solutions to these problems which are now known consist either of lengthening a classical type fuselage or in superposing such fuselages to form an assembly of several decks.

But the difficulties inherent in both these solutions are essentially due, in the first solution to the difiieulty of centering the apparatus, as well as the tunnel effect caused by a too long fuselage, increasing the difficulties of movement, whilst the second solution requires openings at different levels, or means of access between decks, such as lifts, stairs and the like, which reduce the space available and increase structural masses. Furthermore, by increasing the longitudinal surface, both solutions increase lateral wind hold.

The present invention has none of the above-mentioned drawbacks.

Its object is to supply in a simple manner, a fuselage having several lobes such that:

Each lobe is served by an independent passageway and has its own exits;

The lobes intercommunicate by simple openings;

One or more lobes may be used exclusively for passenger or freight transport;

Lateral wind hold is reduced;

The fuselage shape is suitable for pressurization and of simple, light construction, and furthermore has a large underdeck area where vast cargo-compartments may be installed.

With these ends in view, the large capacity fuselage according to the invention is essentially characterized by the fact that it consists of an association of hollow longitudinal members or lobes, forming as many compartments disposed side by side in a same horizontal plane, and rigidly secured to one another so that the said members enable a compact fuselage to be formed.

According to a special form of embodiment the fuselage comprises two adjacent lobes or compartments.

According to other characteristics:

The hollow members or lobes of the fuselage are connected in pairs by a central girder which may include openings adapted to provide intercommunication of the compartments;

An outer strong, airtight envelope entirely surrounds the assembly of 'lobes or longitudinal members which form the fuselage;

The spaces between the outer envelope and the fuse lage lobes permits the connecting members, piping, cables etc., with which the aerodyne is equipped to be passed through them.

The invention also relates to any areodyne equipped with a fuselage according to the invention.

Thus, and according to other characteristics of these said aerodynes equipped with said fuselage, and which will be explained in greater detail in the following text.

In a first version:

The lower portion of the fuselage is provided with a series of retractable plates disposed symmetrically with respect to the central girder or girders which interconnect the lobes, these said plates constituting cargo-compartments which are easily accessible from the ground;

The propulsion unit as well as the horizonal and vertical tail units are disposed in a known manner on the rear portion of the fuselage, these three members being connected to a triangular frame or structure rigidly secured to the central girder.

And according to a second variant:

The wings unit is in a raised position resting on the pressurized lobes without passing through them, and thereby procuring advantages such that on the one hand the fiat-fuselage-high wing interaction improves the hypersustentation and leads, for a given approach speed, to a reduction in the surface of the wings, and on the other hand, the fatigue resistance of the fuselage structure is increased because the only openings formed are those necessitated by the landing gear bays.

Owing to the landing gear being in a low position, it is short and therefore light and further leads only to slight interaction between the said landing gear and the flaps.

Other advantages and characteristics of the present invention will be brought out from the description which follows with reference to the attached drawings, in which have been shown as an example, two preferred forms of large capacity aerodynes, equipped with a fuselage hav ing two horizontally disposed lobes or adjacent compartments.

FIGURE 1 shows diagrammatically in perspective and partial cross-section, a section of the fuselage according to the invention, the said fuselage being that utilized in the two preferred forms of embodiment of the invention.

FIGURES 2, 3 and 4 show the low winged aerodyne according to a first form of embodiment, respectively in profile, from the front and from above.

FIGURES 5 and 6 to 8 respectively show longitudinal and transversal cross section according to lines 66, 7-7 and 8-8 of FIGURE 5 of the high wing aerodyne according to a second form of preferred embodiment.

FIGURE 9 shows diagrammatically and according to a longitudinal horizontal cross-section of the fuselage of FIGURE 1 a possible mixed freight, passenger embodiment.

FIGURE 10 shows a front view of the aerodyne according to the second form of embodiment.

Referring to FIGURE 1, a section of fuselage 1 is shown including two lobes consisting of the symmetrical jackets 2 and 3 of cylindrical form, of about 3.50 m. diameter for instance, the said jacket constituting the inner pressure-tight partitions of the two compartments of fuselage l. The two lobes or jackets 2 and 3 are moreover rigidly secured and disposed symmetrically with respect to a central girder 4 on which they interconnect.

An outer envelope 5 of oval form and made of a strong metal surrounds lobes 2 and 3 and is tangential to them on the lateral surfaces whilst a space 16 at its upper portion is left free between the arc of the longest radius of the outer envelope, of about 7.5 m. for example, and the upper surfaces of lobes 2 and 3.

The same outer casing 5 is also tangential to the lower portion of lobes 2 and 3. A common deck 6 for both lobes 2 and 3 defines the usable volume whilst an air-tight partition 7 defines the pressurized volume In.

Classical frames 8 help to provide resistance and rigid-- ity of the fuselage assembly.

Such a bi-lobed disposition provides, by its geometrical configuration. numerous advantages, and amongst others:

A great ability to resist internal pressure, a free space at the upper portion through which channels, cables and other connections 9 can be passed, and which are also easy to visit through trap doors 10 of easy access;

A space under the deck for the installation of vast luggage bays easily accessible from the ground;

Useful width of compartments permitting, for example,

two rows of five seats 13 each, which would, for example allow two hundred and fifty places in twenty five rows, and a free passage between rows by means of openings 14; Furthermore, this same bi-lobed disposition permits the construction;

(1) Of an aerodyne such as it is shown in FIGURES 2, 3 and 4 where it is visible that the portion 112 of fuselage 1 prolonging the pressurized portion 1a, may receive the propulsion units lb [a, b, c, d] supplied with air by lateral intakes 1b.; and 1b. the horizontal lb and vertical 1/1 tail fins, members lb lb 112 being rigidly secured to a triangular frame 25 shown in FIG. 2 which is rigidly connected to central girder 4 with girder 4 extending into tail portion lb This device also allows positioning of retractable plates 12 for luggage 17 to be integrated in the fuselage whereby the said central girder 4 is not interrupted and also housing of fiying surface 11 which may be a single unit.

Grouping of propulsion units in this present version makes it possible to obtain reduction of aerodynamic drag owing to the filling of the base by jets of air, good introduction of thrust stresses onto the central girder 4, lessening of the lengths of piping and cables, leading to a substantial saving in weight and easy maintainance as the propulsion assembly constitutes a single engine chamber easily, accessible from the ground. It is furthermore evident, in this disposition, that passengers may embark very quickly and easily, especially by the integrated access stairs disposed at the ends of the bays.

(2) An aerodyne such as shown in FIGURES 5, 6, 7, 8 and 10, where it is seen that the flying surface 18 is positioned high on the lobes without passing through them, landing gears 19 and 20 are short andcompletely housed in lower bays 21 and 22 under the deck after retraction. This first disposition also permits of the lateraliy accessible compartments 23 being equipped with the usual handling apparatus and provides the additional advantages already described.

It is furthermore easy to see, from the diagrammatic representation of the loading plan, given as an example in 4 FIGURE 9, that seats 13 and freight 24 may occupy the whole and/or any proportion of the available space inside fuselage 1.

In particular, the fuselage may include a number of horizontally disposed lobes or compartments in excess of two, the version of the aerodyne may be of any type, a hospital aircraft, or other, and the aerodyne may be of any type, for example S.T.O.L (short take-off and landing aircraft) or V.T.O.L. (vertical takeoff and landing air craft).

We claim:

1. A large capacity fuselage for an aerodyne comprising a plurality of hollow longitudinal lobes each forming a compartment and being disposed side by side so that at least a pair of said lobes are on the same horizontal plane;

said pair of lobes each having a fiat face with their flat faces adjacent each other determining a common connecting vertical plane wall;

an outer envelope at least partially tangential to said lobes, partially tangentially supported on said lobes, and surrounding said lobes to form the outer surface of the fuselage;

said common connecting vertical plane wall forming a center girder of the fuselage having its upper and lower longitudinal edges spaced from said outer envelope.

2. A fuselage in accordance with claim 1 further characterized by said pair of said lobes having horizontal partiiions disposed in their lower portions and within said lobes to form a deck for each of said compartments formed within said lobes.

3. A fuselage for an aerodyne in accordance with claim 1 further characterized by said fuselage having a flying surface extending therefrom and attached thereto.

4. A fuselage for an aerodyne in accordance with claim 3 further characterized by said flying surface being a high flying surface comprising wings placed on and supported by said lobes without passing through them.

5. A fuselage for an aerodyne in accordance with claim 3 further characterized by said flying surface comprising wings extending from the lower portion of the fuselage.

6. A fuselage for an aerodyne in accordance with claim 3 further characterized by a triangular frame rigidly secured to said center girder at the rear of the fuselage and having a propelling group and horizontal and vertical tail units attached thereto.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,147,654 2/1939 Knight 244--1l7 X 2,162,227 6/1939 Page 244-119 2,236,482 3/1941 Lindel 244-419 2,967,034 1/1961 Eyre 244ll9 2,958,480 11/1960 Saulnier 2441l7 X MILTON BUCHLER, Primary Examiner.

T. W. BUCKMAN, Assistant Examiner. 

